1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention is directed toward a modular support device. The invention is intended for use as a workstation support structure and allows variable placement of wired equipment and non-wired equipment within a workspace. In addition to wired devices such as personal computer systems, the invention is also useful for supporting various workspace components such as work-surfaces, shelving, and lighting. The invention includes modular components that can be added to form complex support structures meeting various workspace functionality and design objectives. As a modular system, the invention can be used in a wide range of fields and applications. The home office, corporate office, and home entertainment center are examples of where the invention can be applied.
2. Background of the Invention.
Most electronic equipment on the market today is dependent on some kind of structural support for proper user interface and functionality. Computers, monitors, keyboards, computer speakers, scanners, fax machines, and various other electronic equipment common in many homes and offices require proper support for use within a workspace. Except for highly specialized applications, these support devices usually take the form of furnishings or furniture related products and accessories.
Today, workspaces such as corporate office space, home office space, and home entertainment centers are heavily populated with wired devices and equipment. Wired equipment has increasingly become part of the landscape in homes and offices alike. In retrospect, the electronic revolution is a relatively recent development in the long history of the furniture industry, and has placed a great burden upon it in recent times. For centuries, office workers worked with paper and other media with the freedom to position and interface with their work however they chose on their work-surface, a work-surface uncluttered by bulky electronic equipment and tangled wires. The term “wire” as used throughout this specification and claims, includes wires, lines, cables, chords or any other device that can transmit any signal or any form of power, unless otherwise specifically specified or limited.
With the advent of wired input and output devices however, workers were now for the first time in history forced to work in a fixed and stationary position. Due to the relatively recent implementation of such technology, adverse health effects associated with stationary input and output devices have emerged. It has become apparent and widely accepted that working with wired equipment in a stationary or fixed position for extended periods of time can pose health risks to the user. Providing a method for dynamic and variable placement of wired equipment within a workspace allows users the freedom to routinely shift their working positions which can alleviate some of the health risks.
It is widely understood among those skilled in the art that implementing such functionality within a workspace will likely reduce heath risks associated with working in fixed positions for extended periods of time or on a routine basis. The capability to dynamically place and configure wired equipment can also help to better utilize workspace area, thus allowing users to function more effectively and efficiently.
Prior art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,334, provide for dynamic and variable placement of wired equipment by permitting rotation of attached equipment about a single vertical axis; vertical placement is also variable within defined increments along the vertical length of the support device. Several other patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,562,987 and 4,783,036 also disclose devices useful for dynamically placing wired equipment, but require a pre-existing workstation for proper functionality. Such devices pose significant drawbacks and limitations when implemented within common workspace environments. The prior art fails to adequately address important workspace issues such as wire management and workspace integration.
Using known devices, achieving adequate ergonomics and wire management within a workspace requires the implementation of untraditional, specialized, and dedicated support devices that are typically very mechanical or unusual in appearance, offering very little if any workspace integration. Though these support devices may be acceptable in some workspace environments, they are often unsuitable for use in most traditional workspace areas. Because of drawbacks like the exposed wire management, poor appearance, and lack of workspace integration, the prior art devices have had limited acceptance and use. Users are therefore deprived of even the basic ergonomic functionality present in the prior art.
It is important for a support device to provide good wire management when placing wired equipment such that wires do not become environmental hazards or detract aesthetically from the workspace and surrounding environment. The appearance of a workspace object may also be significantly altered when wires are not concealed and hidden from view. The prior art does not, and cannot conceal wires. Thus, if wires are managed at all, they must be managed externally with dedicated wire management devices which con sequentially become an external element and feature of the support device, the workstation, and surrounding environment.
Wire exposure always detracts from the aesthetic qualities of a workspace. Exposed wires spoil the efforts of workspace designers and planners who do their best to create an attractive and safe work or entertainment environment. The exposed wires and external wire management systems typical of prior art is simply not acceptable in a significant number of environments.
Wires also can dangerous to people and pets. For instance, a person may trip on a wire resulting in personal injury, or equipment damage. Exposed wires also place children and pets at risk to accidental strangulation or other injuries, or electrocution.
The prior art teaches devices that are intended as a supplement to preexisting workspace equipment, offering little if any workspace integration. That is, they are add-on devices with a one-size-fits-all approach to implementing workspace ergonomics. Such devices thus add to workspace clutter and reduce useable space.